Natsuki Kuga
Natsuki Kuga (玖我 なつき Kuga Natsuki?) is a fictional character from the My-HiME. She is voiced by Saeko Chiba in Japanese and Cheryl McMaster in English. Common characteristics Natsuki is typically portrayed as a serious, rational blue-haired female, as a foil to the lighthearted Mai Tokiha. She usually has Shizuru Fujino as a close friend. Natsuki always uses some type of gun as her weapon and she is usually associated with wolves, silver and the element ice. She also has a habit of flicking her hair with her left hand. Elements and Child Natsuki's El ements are a pair of small pistols, with the spheres on the pistols providing it with unlimited ammunition."My-HiME: Characters". Accessed April 8, 2007. She also displays knowledge of hand-to-hand fighting techniques.My-HiME anime, episode 1My-HiME anime, episode 15 Natsuki's HiME mark is located on her lower left back, an area said to be governed by Leo, her zodiac sign. Natsuki's Child is Duran, a silver wolflike creature named after her deceased pet dog. It has a pair of cannons on its back, and in its hind legs are several different types of projectiles: Silver Cartridges create icicles, Chrome Cartridges are conventional explosive charges, and Flash Cartridges produce a blinding light. Duran is also capable of close-combat fighting, and it can transform into a hoverbike that Natsuki can ride. Natsuki's most important person is Shizuru. Natsuki's powers remains the same in the manga except she appears able to control ice to some extent erecting an ice wall in Chapter 15 to protect Tate. She, along with Mai, still has her HiME mark on her lower-left back.My-HiME manga, chapter 18, page 3 Natsuki's Child in the manga is Duran, similar to the anime version but named after the doll her mother gave her. It has the same cartridges as the anime version, although Silver Cartridges actually freeze the target. It also fires Diamond Cartridges, which freeze the molecules of their target.My-HiME manga, chapter 40, page 13 Natsuki's Key is Yuuichi Tate in the manga version. Duran is probably short for Durandal, the legendary sword of the knight Roland. My-HiME anime Natsuki makes her first appearance in episode 1 as a mysterious figure trying to kill Mikoto Minagi, who is picked up by a ferry that Mai Tokiha is riding. Initially, Natsuki doesn't want to work with Mikoto or Mai, but as the series progresses the three fight off the various Orphans at the academy, they become friends. Natsuki's purpose for fighting is revealed in episode 9 when the three girls investigate an old First District lab. Natsuki tells the others that she wants destroy the First District for causing the death of her mother, a researcher of the First District. Natsuki rescues Akane Higurashi from the First District's lab in episode 13; Akane later reveals to Natsuki in episode 17 the link between a Child and the HiME's most important person. In episode 20, Natsuki learns from John Smith that her mother actually attempted to sell her to the Searrs Foundation, rather than attempting to protect her. This sends Natsuki into depression, preventing her from summoning her Element or Child and allowing her to be caught by Nao. Natsuki is saved by Shizuru and later finds out that Shizuru is actually in love with her. Natsuki later confronts Shizuru in an emotional battle in episode 25, which ends with the deaths of the two after Natsuki kisses Shizuru and orders Duran to fire. They are later revived in episode 26 with the other HiME and destroy the HiME Star. The official guidebook suggests that Natsuki's relationship with Shizuru becomes deeper as time goes on. And in the novel, "Natsuki Prelude" (also in the artbooks vol 1, 2), there's a backstory of Natsuki revealing that while she sent Takeda a rejection note (she thanked him and also apologized for not returning his feelings) she told herself that there was someone's feelings she must accept, referring to Shizuru (She was contemplating this in episode 25, after a conversation with Sakomizu only seen in "Natsuki's Prelude"). My-HiME manga In the My-HiME manga, Natsuki Kuga is a typical tsundere character involved in a love triangle with Mai Tokiha and Yuuichi Tate, the latter being the Key for both girls. Natsuki shows a rivalry with Mai in the first chapter, indicating the two were fighting since before Yuuichi appeared. Natsuki's inability to do housework and her fondness of mayonnaise is more emphasized in the manga than in the anime.[5] She, along with Mai, still has her HiME mark on her lower-left back.[6] Natsuki's Child is Duran, similar to the anime version but named after the doll her mother gave her. It has the same cartridges as the anime version, although Silver Cartridges actually encase the target in ice. The Duran used by Natsuki's mother used a new type of Cartridge called 'Plutonium Cartridge' - highly explosive shells much more powerful than the Chrome Cartridges. Natsuki's Duran had one more transformation to go through and it became Golden Duran. It also became able to fire Diamond Cartridges, which freeze the molecules of their target with 'absolute zero' temperatures. This is the form that Natsuki used to defeat QUEEN Mai and a Dark Kagutsuchi in a one-on-one battle.[7] Natsuki's Key is Yuuichi Tate in the manga version. Actions Natsuki is first shown in chapter 1, fighting Mai in front of Fuka Academy. She is the first to realize that Yuuichi is a Key - more specifically, her Key - but is surprised when he turns out to be Mai's Key as well. In chapter 5, Natsuki reveals her reason for fighting: to avenge her mother, who died at the hands of a HiME. Later in that chapter, events force Natsuki to move in with Mai, Mikoto Minagi, and Yuuichi. In chapter 7, Natsuki joins the Ori-HiME Team; it is shown later in chapter 12 that this was only to get information on every HiME on campus, which Shizuru gives to her. She rejoins the Anti-Orphan Squad at the end of chapter 14, helping to defeat Haruka Suzushiro and Yukino Kikukawa. Natsuki loses the ability to summon Duran when the relationship between Mai and Yuuichi is revealed in chapter 24. In the following chapter, she meets her mother, who is revealed to be alive and working for the Searrs Foundation, and her sister, Alyssa Searrs. She refuses to work with her mother, leading to a battle with her sister in chapter 29. Natsuki frees Mashiro Kazahana, who holds off Alyssa and allows Natsuki to confront her mother at the gate of the HiME Star. During the ensuing battle, Natsuki regains the power to summon Duran in chapter 34 and subsequently defeats her mother. In chapter 38, Yuuichi and Natsuki break into the Obsidian Palace where they encounter QUEEN Mai. After Natsuki defeats QUEEN Mai and a Dark Kagutsuchi in a one-on-one battle with her powered up Duran(Golden Duran),Yuuichi convinces Mai to help stop her brother.The three fight Takumi Tokiha, and in chapter 43 use the Sword of Kagutsuchi to defeat the HiME Star's Child and saved Takumi. In the final chapter, Natsuki is now living with her mother, sister, and Miyu Greer and still fights Mai over Yuuichi. Gallery Natsuki's element.jpg 3bebabf251ad607078a03ea901ef160c1233461251_full.jpg ima1ges.jpg images.jpg Natsuki kuga school swimsuit.jpg Reference Category:My-HiME characters